Leak-check valve



wmmium LEAK-CHECK VALVE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 001;. 3, 1958 :13 B X H 8 a k 5 a s m w a 0 6 4 a 7 3 a/ I .E 4 A 3 a a 0 6 5 F e 3 v j Q "w a H a L s m s 3 m 9% I a a H e .il. LHI a a 3 a a A n a EXHAUST fweizi' m:

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Sept. 6, 1960 w. E. WILSON EIAL LEAK-CHECK VALVE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 3, 1958 TO EXHAUST SYSTEM all-I IIII v l n p u I TEE tilllllil! Iwenfors Zolllli' L. M1100 uittoa ue y United States Patent LEAK-CHECK VALVE William E. Wilson, East Orange, and Louis L. Nicolaro,

Roseland, N.J., assignors to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Penusylvania Filed Oct. 3, 1958, Ser. No. 765,245

6 Claims. (Cl. 141--65) The present invention relates to automatic machines for exhausting electrical devices, such as fluorescent lamps, and relates more particularly to an improved leakcheck Valve for such a machine.

Machines for the exhausting of fluorescent lamps are well known and in common use. Such a machine is disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,533,712, issued December 12, 1950, to J. M. Campbell. In such a machine, when a plurality of fluorescent lamps to be exhausted are connected to a common exhaust manifold, sudden implosions or leaks in one lamp may cause the phosphor coating in the other lamps on the same exhaust manifold to be destroyed, and the admitted ambient air may contaminate the other lamps, as well as the pump of the exhaust manifold, thereby ruining the other lamps and requiring considerable time to restore the system to normal operation.

Heretofore it has been known to employ a leak-check valve of the type shown in U.S. Patent. No. 2,672,266, issued March 16, 1954, to J. R. Morin et al. to isolate the leaky fluorescent lamp. This leak-check valve, as shown in this patent, uses a metallic ball in the chamber provided in the exhaust line of the vacuum system, which ball is subject to the disadvantage that it tends to reduce the pumping speed of the system. In addition, during the reseating of such ball in its normal position on the shelf by a magnet, difliculty is sometimes encountered (due to collected contaminants on the seat which faces the inrus-hing deleterious material) in unseating the ball from the seat. Further the initial surge of air pumped from the lamp during preliminary exhaust occasionally undesirably seats the ball in the seat thus closing the leak-check valve.

It is also customary to provide such exhaust machines with pinch clamps (of the type shown in US. Patent No. 2,247,513, issued July 1,1941, to A. J. Marshaus) for enabling an operator, at will, to manually close ad the pumping system when an empty exhaust port arrives at an exhauststation. Although automatic pinch-clamp closing mechanism of .thetype shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,254,905, issued September 2,.1941, to D. Mullan are available, such closing mechanisms are bulky, c0mplicated and expensiveto maintain. .Further the pinchclamp rubbers (after long periods in the closed position) tend to remain constricted. or closed. In addition, after repeated operation the pinch-clamp rubbers losetheir resiliency and crack, thus requiring frequent replacement.

It is the general object of the present invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing and other difliculties of and objections to prior] art practices by the provision of an eifective leak-check valve for an automatic exhaust machine, which improved leak-check valve effectively shuts oi the leakyelectrical devicefrom the reinainder ofthe exhaust system to which it is connected. Another object of the presentinvention. is .to prevent a leaky and contaminated electrical device from alfecting and contaminating other devices beingexhausted furtherobjectof the present invention is to provide ice a leak-check valve between a lamp being exhausted and an exhaust line, which valve can be closed and opened either automatically or manually, at the will by the operator to serve as a pinch clamp.

An additional object of the present invention isthe elimination of conventional pinch-clamp rubbers and pinch-clamp closing mechanisms on exhaust machines.

The aforesaid objects of the invention, and other objects which will become apparent as the description proceeds, are achieved by providing a leak-check valve in the exhaust line between a lamp to be exhausted and the exhaust manifold to which that lamp and other lamps to be exhausted are connected. The valve contains a pivoted vane which is exposed to the air entering the valve from a leaking or broken lamp, and is deflected by such air to seal oif the exhaust line connecting the valve to the exhaust manifold. Since the initial surge of air pumped from a normal lamp would actuate the vane to seal oil the exhaust line, the vane is held back during the preliminary pumping stage, and released after the preliminary pumping stage so that it can be actuated only by leaking air. This valve having the pivoted vane automatically actuated by leaking air to close otf an exhaust line, is provided with additional emergency means for enabling an operator to manually cause the pivoted vane to close off the exhaust line, the valve thus serving additionally as a pinch clamp.

Although the principles of the present invention are broadly applicable to machines for exhausting electrical devices, the present invention is particularly adapted for use in conjunction with machines for exhausting fluorescent lamps, and hence it has been so illustrated and will be so described.

For a better understanding of the present invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary, vertical-sectional view of an exhaust machine embodying the leak-check valve of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the armate relation of the cams in Fig. l to the work stations of the exhaust machine;

Fig. 3 is a vertical-sectional view of the leak-check valve of Fig. 1, showing its vane held against closing during the preliminary pumping stage of the lamp ex,- haust, and also showing diagrammatically the electrica controls for the leak-check valve; l

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the vane at an exhaust pumping station and free to close;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the vane deflected by the air from a leaking lamp to close oif the outlet line from the valve.

'Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the va'ne in closed position when operated as apinch clamp, and

Fig. 7 is a vertical-sectional view along the line 77 of Fig. 6 in the direction of the arrows.

With specific reference to the form of the present invention illustrated in the drawings and referring particularly to Fig. 1, a conventional exhaust machine of the type shown in the above-mentioned U.S. Patent No. 2,533,712, is shown having a turret 11 provided with a hub 12 attached to a vertically extending hollow shaft 13 which is driven by a conventional indexing mechanism (not shown) by of the type shown in US. Patent No. 2,569,852, issued October 2, 1951, to J. H. Green.- The hub 12 is rotatable on. a frame 14 of the exhaust machine by means of a ball bearing 15 and the hollow shaft 13 rotates on a stationary pedestal 16 extending through the shaft 13 above thehub 12.

The turret 11 carries forty-eight conventional heads 19 (only one of which is shown in Fig. 1) ofthe type shown in the above-mentioned US. Patent No. 2,533,712 and into each of which extends an exhaust tube 20 of a fluorescent lamp 21 to be exhausted. Each head 19 may carry a conventional-mercury doser'22. In order to operate each head 19 to grip-or release an exhaust tube 20, a'conventional hand lever 23 may be used.

Attached to the hub 12 is 'a rotatable upper section 24 of a conventional rotary valve 25 (of the type shown in US. Patent No. 2,113,798, issued April 12, 1938, to

D. Mu1lan), which valve has a lower section 26 attached to the frame 14. An exhaust line 27 connected to a conventional exhaust manifold 27a (and thence to a pumping system, not shown) connects the exhaust manifold 27a to. passage 28 in the valve 25. When such valve 25 is open, asshown in Fig. 1, this passage 28 is connected in turn to the lamp 21 through a line 29, a conventional trap 30, an outlet line 31 from a leak-check valve 32 of the present invention and from the latter through an manifold 27a has, for example, four heads 19 connected thereto. a

- To provide cam-mounting means on the frame 14 .(Fig. 1), a horizontally extending plate 36 is attached to a flanged member 37a which in turn is afiixed to the pedestal 16, and extends over the inner portion of the turret 11. The plate 36 has attached to its under surface,

.as viewed in Fig. 1, earns 37 and 38 formed in circular 'inlet'line 33 extending to the head 19. Each exhaust and the first retracting-circuit (Figs. 1 and 3-6) are mounted ona sleeve 56 extending from the right-hand side of the valve 32 (Figs. 3-6) above the outlet line 31, which support electromagnets 57 and 58 positioned about such sleeve 56. A plunger 60 actuated by the electromagnets 57 and 58 reciprocates-within the sleeve 56 and through the wall adjacent the upper end of the leakcheck valve 32ali gnment with the longitudinal axis of the vane 53. Another sleeve 61 (associated with the operating means for the emergency operating-circuit and the emergency retracting-circuit) extends from the opposite side of the leak-check valve 32, and has mounted therearound electromagnets 62 and v63.v A plunger 64 actuated by these electromagnets 62 and 63, reciprocates within the sleeve 61 and through the opposite wall of the leak-check valve and also in alignment with the longi tudinal axis of the vane 53.

The above-mentioned operating-circuit switch 41 connects the electromagnet 58 with electric supply lines L1 and L2 to form the first operating-circuit. When this operating-circuit switch 41 is closed by the cam 37, the electromagnet 58 is energized and moves the plunger 60 through the wall of the leak-check valve 32, from the position shown by Fig. 4 to that shown by Fig. 3, to

arcs with theircenters at the axis of the pedestal 16 (Fig.

i switch 42 which connects the electromagnet 57 to the '2) which is the center of rotation of the turret 11. These cams 37 and 38 are utilized to automatically close a first operating circuit and a first retracting circuit respectively, which circuits are operable to prevent and then allow closing of the leak-check valve 32 respectively during the preliminary stages of the exhaust of a lamp 21,

as. hereinafter explained in detail.

A circular plate 40, which extends 'under the plate 36 and is mounted on the turret 11, is utilized to mount an "operating-circuit switch 41 and a retracting-circuit switch 42 (which form a part of the above-mentioned first operating-circuitand first retracting-circuit respectively) for'rotationwith the hub 12 and along the cams 37 and 38 respectively. These switches 41 and 42 are mounted on the upper surface of the plate 40, as viewed in Fig. 1, there being separate switches 41 and 42 for each leak-check valve 32.

The"operating-circuit switch 41 has a switch-closing lever 43 provided With a bifurcated upper portion 44 carrying ashaft 45 on which is mounted a-rotary cam follower 46-for engagement with the cam 37. The retracting-circuit switch 42 has a similar switch-closing lever 47, the bifurcated upper portion 48 of which carries a shaft 49 for a rotary cam rfollower 50 for the cam 38. As shown in Fig. 1 a manually operated double-throw emergency switch 51, which forms a part of an emergency operating-circuit and an emergency retracting-circuit (when the valve 32 is used as a pinch clamp), is mounted on the outer edge of the ti1rre't'11 opposite each head 19. This normally open emergency switch 51 has a manually-operated switch closing and opening arm 52 for operating the blade 52a (Figs. 3-6) of the switch 51.

Leak-check valve Each leak-check valve 32 (Figs. 1 and 3-7) has a hollow, cylindrical body, into the lower end of which extend the adjacent ends of the opposed outlet line 31 and the inlet line 33. A vane 53 (Figs. 3-7) is pivoted at 54 to the valve body below and adjacent the outlet line 31. This vane 53 has (on its side facing the outlet line 31) a sealing-off pad 55 of resilient material, such as rubber, which is adapted to contact and close off the inner end of the outlet line 31 when the vane 53 is deflected to closed position as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

Operating I means The operating means for the first operating -circuit thusengage the vane 53 and hold the latter in the open position (Fig. 3) during the preliminary exhaust of the lamp 21 at stations 48 and 1 (Fig. 2). The first retracting-circuit comprises the retractingi-circuit supply lines L1 and L2. When this switch 41 is opened to deenergize electromagnet 58 and switch 42 is closed,

the electromagnet 57 is energized thus causing retraction of the plunger 60 away from the vane 53 from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown by Fig. 4 and preparingthe leak-check valve 32 for closure by the occurrence of a leaking lamp 21 at the exhaust stations, such as stations 2, 3 etc. (Fig. 2.).

As shown in Figs. 3-6, the manually operable emergency switch 51 has an upper switch contact 66, and a lower switch contact 67. The switch 51 (when its movable blade 52a is momentarily in contact with its upper contact 66) connects the electromagnet 63 to the supply lines L1 and L2, thereby closing the emergency rctracting-circuit (after the valve has been used as pinch clamp) and energizing the electromagnet 63. This momentary energization of the electromagnet 63 causes the retraction of the plunger 64 from the pinch-clamp position shown in Fig. 6 to that shown in Fig. 5. When the 1 operatingblade 52a momentarily engages the lower-contact 67, the switch 51 connects the electromagnet 62 to the supply lines L1 and-L2, thus closing the emergency operating-circuit with resultant momentary energization of the electromagnet 62 and thereby causing movement 7 Y of the plunger 64 outwardly from the position shown in open end of the line, with the valve 32 being thus The above-mentioned cam 37 is located as shown by Fig. 2, to cause the operating-circuit switch 41 to be closed just before a head 19- and the lamp 21 carried thereby reach the first preliminary exhaust station, station 48, of the exhaust machine, and to cause 'the operating-circuit switch 41 to' be opened when the lamp 21 leaves the last preliminary exhaust station, such as station 1. The cam 38 is located, as shown by Fig. 2 (adjacentstation 2), to cause'the retracting-'- circuit switch 42 to be closed when the head 19 and the lamp 21 areat station 2 and to causethe retractingcircuit switch '42 to be open thereafter during the ex haust of 'the lamp 21. a

Even though-it is believed that the operation of the description, a brief review of the operation thereof 'will now be made.

Operation In operation, when a lamp 21 carried by a head 19 is indexed by the turret 11 to the initial preliminary exhaust station, station 48 (Fig. 2), the cam follower 46 of the operating-circuit switch 41 (Fig. l) engages the cam 37, and closes the switch 41 and the first operating-circuit. At this time the cam follower 50 of the retracting-circuit switch 42 is off the cam 38 so that the switch 42 and the first retracting-circuit is open. The closure of the first operating-circuit causes the electromagnet 58 to be energized with resultant movement of the plunger 60 inwardly from the position shown in Fig. 4 to the position shown in Fig. 3, thus deflecting the vane 53 away from the inner end of the outlet line 31 so as to prevent the initial surge of air from the lamp 21 (caused by its now being exhausted) from deflecting t-he sealing-off pad 55 on the vane 53 against the inner end of the outlet line 31 and undesirably closing 011 the exhaust manifold 27a from the lamp 21.

When the lamp 21 leaves the second preliminary pumping station, station 1 (Fig. 2), the cam follower 46 rides oil? the cam 37 and opens the switch 41 and the first operating-circuit thus deenergizing the electromagnet 58. At the same time, the cam follower 50 engages the cam 38, closing the retracting-circuit switch 42 and the first retracting-circuit, thus energizing the electromagnet 57, which retracts the plunger 60 to the position shown in Fig. 4. However, the vane 53 remains in the position shown in Fig. 4 during continued exhausting of the lamp 26 since the suction force of the vacuum is not sufficient to cause rotation of the vane 53 about its pivot 54 and hence communication is continually established through the valve 32 from inlet line 33 to outlet line 31.

If a leak however occurs in the lamp 21 after it has left the last-mentioned exhaust station, station 2, the vane 53 will be deflected to the position shown in Fig. 5 by the inrushing air through the leak so that the valve sealing-off pad 55 closes off the inner end of the outline 31 where it is retained by the suction of the vacuum even after the leaking lamp has been removed and until the vane 53 is returned to its normal exhaust position, as shown in Fig. 4, by movement of plunger 60 to the position shown in Fig. 3. Use of the leak-check valve 32 eliminates conventional pinch clamps and automatic pinch-clamp closing mechanisms.

During the normal operation of the exhaust machine, the plunger 64 is held by the vane 53 in its retracted position (Figs. 35) (where it does not interfere with the above-mentioned deflection of the vane 53) by the above-mentioned inward movement of the plunger 60 during the preliminary exhaust stage. If the operator of the machine desires to close off a particular head 19 from the exhaust manifold 27a for any reason, such as the failure of the switch 42, he depresses the plunger 52 of the emergency switch 51 (Fig. 1) to cause the operating blade 52a of the emergency switch 51 (Figs. 3-6) to engage the lower contact 67 with resultant closure of the emergency operating-circuit. Closure of the emergency operating-circuit energizes the electromagnet 62, thereby causing the plunger 64 to be moved forwardly against the vane 53 to deflect the vane and position the sealing-off pad 55 against the inner end of the outlet line 31 and close off the latter. Thus, the operator in an emergency can use the leak-check valve 32 as a pinch clamp for closing off the lamp 21 from the pumping system at will.

Since the sealing-ofi pad 55 on the vane 53 is attached to the side of the vane which is opposite the inlet line 33 connected to the lamp 21, contamination by impurities from a leaky lamp 21 is eliminated.

It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the objects of the present invention have been achieved by the provision of an improved leak-check valve for an automatic exhaust machine. This improved leak-check valve effectively shuts off a leaky and contaminated lamp from the remainder of the exhaust system to which it is connected and prevents such lamp from contaminating other lamps being exhausted. In addition, the valve can be opened and closed at will in an emergency by the operator to serve as a pinch clamp.

While in accordance with the patent statutes one best known embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be particularly understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby.

We claim:

1. In combination for a machine for exhausting fluid from an envelope and having a plurality of stations including an exhaust station together with means for moving said envelope to be exhausted from one station to another and an exhaust line for exhausting fluid from said envelope, a valve between said envelope and line, said valve having an inlet connected to said envelope and having an outlet connected to said line, said valve having outlet-closing means responsive to flow of fluid from said envelope through said valve to said line for closing said outlet, a first operating means actuated by said envelope moving means when said envelope is at said exhaust station for preventing said outlet-closing means from closing said outlet, and a second operating means actuated by said envelope moving means when said envelope is moved from said exhaust station to said other station for disabling said first operating means.

2. In combination for a machine for exhausting air from an envelope and having a plurality of stations including an exhaust station together with means for moving said envelope to be exhausted from one station to another and an exhaust line for exhausting air from said envelope, a valve between said line and envelope, said valve having an inlet connected to said envelope and having an outlet connected to said line, said valve having a pivoted vane adapted to be deflected by the flow of air from said envelope through said valve to said line to close said outlet, and operating means for said valve comprising electromagnetic means for preventing said vane from closing said outlet, and means actuated by said envelope moving means for energizing said electromagnetic means when said envelope is at said exhaust station, and for deenergizing said electromagnetic means when said envelope is moved from said. exhaust station to said other station.

3. In combination for a machine for exhausting air from an envelope and having a plurality of stations including an exhaust station together with means for moving said envelope to be exhausted from one station to another and an exhaust line for exhausting air from said envelope, a valve between said envelope and line, said valve having an inlet connected to said envelope and an outlet connected to said line, said valve having a pivoted vane adapted to be deflected by the flow of air from said envelope through said valve to said line to close said outlet, and operating means for said valve comprising a first electromagnetic means for preventing said vane from closing said outlet, means actuated by said envelope moving means for energizing said first electromagnetic means when said envelope is at said exhaust station, and for deenergizing said first electromagnetic means when said envelope is moved from said exhaust station to said other station, a second electromagnetic means for causing said vane to close said outlet, and means including a manually operated switch for energizing and deenergizing said last mentioned second electromagnetic means.

4. In combination for a machine for exhausting air from an envelope and having a plurality of stations including an exhaust station together with means for moving said envelope to be exhausted from one station to another and an exhaust line for exhausting air from said envelope, a valve between said line and envelope, said valve having an inlet connected to said envelope and having an outlet connected to said line, said valve having a pivoted vane adapted to be deflected by the flow of air from said envelope through said valve to said line to close said outlet, and operating means for said valve comprising a plunger adapted to move said vane away from said outlet, a first electromagnet for causing said plunger to move said vane away from said outlet, a second electromagnet for retracting said plunger from contact with said vane, means including a first switch closed by movement of said envelope moving means for energizing said first electromagnet when said envelope is at said exhaust station, said switch being opened by movement of said envelope moving means when said envelope moves from said exhaust station to said other station, and means including a second switch closed by movement of said envelope moving means for energizing said second electromagnet when said envelope is moved from said exhaust station to said other station, said second switch being opened by movement of said envelope moving means when. said envelope is at said exhaust station.

5. In combination for 'a machine for exhausting air from "an envelope and having a plurality of stations including an exhaust station together with means for moving said envelope to be exhausted from one station to another and an exhaust line for exhausting air from said envelope, a valve between said line and envelope, said valve having an inlet connected to said envelope and having an outlet connected to said line, said valve having a pivoted vane adapted to be deflected by the flow of air from said envelope through said valve to said line to close said outlet, and operating means for said valve comprising a plunger adapted to move said vane away from said outlet, a first electromagnet for causing said plunger to move said vane'away from said outlet, a second electromagnet for retracting said plunger from contact with said vane, means including a first switch closed by movement of said envelope moving means for energizing said first electromagnet when said envelope arrives at said exhaust station, said switch being opened by said envelope moving means when said envelope moves from said exhaust station to said other station, means including a second switch closed by movement of fsaidlenvelope moving means for energizing said second electromagnet when said envelope is moved from said exhaust station to saidtother station, said second switch being opened by movement of said envelope moving means when said envelope is at said exhaust station, a second plunger adapted to move said vane to close said outlet, a third electromagnet for causing said second plunger to deflect said vane against said outlet, a fourth electromagnet for retracting said second plunger from contact with said vane, and means including a manual.- ly operable double-throw switch for energizing said third electromagnet or for energizing said fourth electromagnet.

6. In combination a valve having an air inlet and an air outlet, a pivoted vane having a valve seat facing said outlet, said vane being adapted to be deflected by air entering said inlet to cause said seat to close said outlet, and operating means for said valve comprising a plunger for deflecting said vane and seat away from said outlet, a first electromagnet for causing said plunger to deflect said vane and seat away from said outlet, a second electromagnet for retracting said plunger from contact with said vane, means including switching means for energizing said first electromagnet or for energizing said second electromagnet, a second plunger for deflecting said vane to cause said seat to close said outlet, a third electromagnet for causing said second plunger to deflect said vane to cause said seat to close said outlet, a fourth electromagnet for retracting said second plunger from contact with said vane, and means including switching means for energizing said third electromagnet or for energizing said fourth electromagnet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS "2,792,854 V De Groat May 21, 1957 1c-' tar... K 

